How Your Employees Benefit from Employer-Sponsored Healthcare

HR leaders play a key role in managing employee benefits, balancing the need to offer in-demand services while controlling costs and improving employee health.

This already challenging task becomes even more demanding with health plan costs projected to rise by 5.8% on average in 2025—the third straight year of increases above 5%. Adding to the complexity, nearly 40% of employees report dissatisfaction with their health benefits, marking the lowest satisfaction level in the past decade.

Rather than settling for the status quo, employers of all sizes are rethinking their benefits strategy by offering employer-sponsored advanced primary care. The innovative model delivers significant cost savings while enhancing employee satisfaction, surpassing the limitations of traditional healthcare approaches.

Enhanced Convenience and Satisfaction

A typical doctor’s visit in the traditional healthcare system is clunky at best. In the U.S., the average wait time to see a primary care physician is 20 days. Once at the appointment, patients often spend excessive time in the waiting room, only to see their provider for a few minutes. 

Marathon Health’s employer-sponsored primary care clinics enhance convenience in several ways. For instance, employees can schedule same- and next-day appointments, making it easier to access care when needed. On average, members spend five minutes or less waiting to see a provider.

Depending on their needs, employers can build health centers at or near the worksite, near where employees live, grant employees access to an existing network of health centers located around town, or provide 24/7 virtual care. Many employers offer a combination of these options.

Beyond employee primary care benefits, members can also access mental health support, individualized chronic condition management, physical therapy and medications, covering 90% of healthcare needs. Across all clients, Marathon Health enjoys a 98% approval rating.

Deeper Patient-Provider Relationships

One study found 64% of patients wish healthcare providers took more time to understand them, while 49% say they don’t always feel listened to by their providers.

In the employer-sponsored healthcare model, providers see a set number of members each day, and appointments are typically scheduled for 30 or 60 minutes. 

Longer appointments allow employees to bring up concerns and ask questions, giving providers more opportunities to promote healthy habits and build trusting relationships. 

Data-Driven Outcomes

Employer-sponsored primary care models enhance patient outcomes by focusing on value-based care, rather than a fee-for-service model. They prioritize preventive care, chronic disease management and personalized treatment plans, leading to better long-term health results.

Marathon Health centers emphasize care coordination, reducing fragmented services and ensuring timely follow-ups by leveraging data and advanced analytics. At-risk patients can be proactively contacted and encouraged to seek care to manage their health at a better level. 

This data can also be used holistically across your population. If data shows a high level of employees with Type 2 diabetes or hypertension, employers can work with their health center partner to craft personalized, targeted care.

To date, nearly 60% of high-risk employees who engage with Marathon Health services make an improvement on at least one key biometric. 

Cost Savings for Employers and Employees

Advanced primary care models deliver real employer savings by prioritizing preventive care, effectively managing chronic conditions and minimizing expensive emergency room visits and hospitalizations. 

Taking a comprehensive approach to health management improves employee health, reducing insurance claims and stabilizing premiums. 

Employers who partner with Marathon Health save $2.75 for every dollar spent on average, with some seeing their total spend decrease by 40%. In fact, one Marathon Health client saved over $23 million since offering onsite care to their workers. 

Marathon Health services are offered at no or low copays, removing or lowering the financial barrier to patients seeing their care team. Employees who regularly engage with Marathon Health save an average of $1,800 per year. 

An Investment in Your Workforce

Providing employer-sponsored primary care isn’t just another point solution—it’s a powerful investment in your workforce. When employees can access comprehensive healthcare benefits at little to no cost, they experience improved well-being, increased job satisfaction and greater financial security.